Holder for dispensing material in roll form



May 15, 1951 F. e. STEINER ET AL HOLDER FOR DISPENSING MATERIAL IN ROLL FORM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 21, 1946 /i faring/- May 15, 1951 F. G. STEINER ETAL HOLDER FOR DISPENSING MATERIAL IN ROLL FORM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21, 1946 Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOLDER FOR DISPENSING MATERIAL IN ROLL FORM Application January 21, 1946, Serial No. 642,498

13 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a method and to means for dispensing material successively from each of a plurality of supply rolls and has among its objects to so arrange a plurality of supply rolls that after the material of the lowermost roll of a stack has been removed by dispensing, the supply roll next above can move by gravity into dispensing position.

Another object is to provide a plurality of supply rolls of paper toweling or the like in a single receptacle, and to so arrange the supply rolls that a second roll can be made to come into dispensing position by gravity action as soon as one roll has been dispensed. This object of replenishment by gravity as a result of action by the user, is in one embodiment of the invention obtained by removing the core of a used supply roll, whereby on such removal another supply roll falls into position accessible for dispensing. Another object is to provide storage space for more than two supply rolls by having them stored in a vertical axially aligned position rather than in an axially horizontal position, so that when the bottommost roll of a stack of rolls has been used, the next roll above may fall by gravity into accessible position for dispensing.

In all of these devices known to us which provide for extra storage of rolls and which provide some means by which another replacement may be made without the intervention of the person employed for servicing the cabinet, the rolls are arranged to have their axes in a horizontal position. In such devices the cabinet width must be too great for practical purposes. In other words,

the cabinets take up too much room horizontally.

In the present device the vertical dimension of the cabinet is increased but its horizontal width is not very much greater than the diameter of the supply roll.

Another object of the invention is to arrange the supply rolls for rotation about a vertical element in superposed axially aligned end-toend, contacting relation, so that frictional effects due to weight are utilized for yieldably resisting withdrawal of the paper of the lower supply roll through a dispensing opening.

Another feature of this invention relates to the manner of connecting the cover to the inner section and to the arrangement by which said cover can be tipped forwardly to permit paper supply rolls to be dropped in an axial direction downwardly over an upright tubular element so that they are axially aligned and capable of rotation and capable of downward motion by gravity.

This cabinet structure feature can be used for a single roll as well as for storage of a plurality of rolls.

Another feature of the invention relates to the relation of the top of the uppermost supply roll when the cabinet is loaded, whereby the core of the used lower roll can easily be torn by an upward stroke of a tool or by a finger of the hand and then removed to allow the next supply roll above to fall into dispensing position. During upward tearing operation the core is held from undue upward motion by the engagement of the uppermost supply roll with the top wall of the cover. Thus, this upward core-tearing force can be efiective.

Objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear in the description of the drawings forming a part of this specification, and in said drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the closed cabinet loaded and ready for dispensing, and showing in dotted lines the position of the cover during loading of the cabinet;

Fig. 2 is a top plan of the cabinet of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the lower part of Fig. 1 broken away to show the relations of the pivoting and stop means for the cover, to a stiffening bracket;

Fig. 4. is a vertical section taken approximately on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing the cabinet loaded and ready for dispensing;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the cabinet;

Fig. 6 is a plan section taken approximately on line 6--6 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. '7 is a section like Fig. 4 illustrating how the upper supp-1y roll is held by the core of the lower supply roll after the paper has been dispensed from the lower roll, and illustrating how the lower core can be removed to permit the upper roll to fall into dispensing position.

Referring first to Fig. 4. The numeral i designates the back, formed in one piece with the bottom 2 by bending the sheet metal at 3. This structure constitutes the inner section. The back has key-hole openings 4, by which the cabinet can be hung on a wall. The back has vertical lateral stiffening flanges 5, one at each side as best shown in Fig. 6. The bottom is provided with a downwardly extending peripheral stiffening and finishing flange 6, the shape of which is best shown in Fig. 5. It will be noted that the forward part of this fiange is semicircular to conform to the configuration of the forward part of the bottom.

The black I and the bottom 2 are rigidly connected by a pair of stiffening brackets desigrolls seems at present to be preferable. In both cases, of course, the rolls are supported for rotation in axially aligned relation with sufiicient play between the tubular element and the opening of the rolls to allow all rolls to fall by gravity to their respective positions, the upper roll falling to dispensing position after the paper or the core of the lower roll has been removed.

In this device the supply rolls are supported in end-to-end relation to rotateabout a comnion upright axis, with the end of the lowermost roll flatly frictionally engaging the flat bottom wall or surface of the cabinet and with the lower end of the upper roll in flat frictional engagement with the flat upper end of the bottom roll. Where cored rolls are used, the core of an upper r011 engages the core of a lower roll.

The engaged end surfaces of two or more supply rolls of paper provide a friction resistance to rotation of the lower roll due to the combined weight of the two or more rolls in forcing the bottom surface of the lower roll against the fiat bottom surface of the cabinet.

Thus, a stack of rolls thus superposed and gravity-engaged provide a device by which the lowermost roll of the stack is yieldably yet relatively strongly held against rotation due to pulling action on the paper. In the present embodiment this friction action is supplemented by spring 4 l What we claim is:

1. A dispensing cabinet having therein an upright spindle adapted to receive and rotatably support a plurality of gravity-superposed supply rolls, the cabinet having a dispensing opening only permitting dispensing of the material of the lowermost roll, said cabinet having a cover which when open permits filling of the cabinet by dropping the supply rolls downwardly over said spindle.

2. A dispensing cabinet having an inner section having, a bottom, an upright member attached to the bottom and free at its upper end and adapted to receive and support for rotation thereabout a plurality of superposed supply rolls, a cover for the inner section attached thereto to be movable in a manner to permit introduction of supply rolls downwardly into rotative relation with the upright member, said cover having a dispensing opening extending upwardly from the bottom of the inner section to a height only sufficient to permit dispensing of paper therethrough from the lowermost roll of the superposed rolls.

3. A dispensing cabinet having a bottom, a dispensing opening extending upwardly from said bottom to a height substantially equal to or slightly greater than the axial length of the supply roll from which paper is to be dispensed, an upright element extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the cabinet and adapted to hold for rotation thereon at least two superposed supply rolls of paper, each of which has a winding core, and means in the bottom of the cabinet facilitating access to the core for tearing the core of the lowermost roll to remove it after the paper has been removed therefrom, whereby to allow the upper roll to move into dispensing position.

4. A dispensing cabinet having a bottom, a dispensing opening extending upwardly from said bottom to a height substantially equal to or slightly greater than the axial length of a supply roll from which paper is to be dispensed, an upright element extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the cabinet and adapted to hold for rotation thereon at least two superposed supply rolls of paper, and means associated with said upright element and adapted to yieldably resist rotation of the lowermost roll during dispensing.

5. A dispensing cabinet having a bottom, a dispensing opening extending upwardly from said bottom to a height substantially equal to or slightly greater than the axial length of a supply roll from which paper is to be dispensed, an upright element extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the cabinet and adapted to hold for rotation thereon at least two superposed supply rolls of paper, and means associated with said upright element and adapted to yieldably resist rotation of the lowermost roll during dispensing, said means adapted to be moved by the lowermost roll. to condition it for the aforesaid action as said roll assumes dispensing position.

6. A dispensing cabinet having an inner section including a bottom, an upright member attached to the bottom and free at its upper end and adapted to receive and support for rotation thereabout a supply roll of material to be dispensed, and a cover for the inner section attached thereto to be movable in a manner to permit introduction of a supply roll downwardly into rotative relation with the upright member, said cover having a dispensing opening extending upwardly from the bottom of the inner section to a height sufficient to permit dispensing of the material of the supply roll therethrough.

'7. A device of the class described, adapted for dispensing a rolled supply of paper having a hollow core, comprising, an inner section adapted to be hung on a wall, a cover section, means pivoting the cover section to the inner section so that the top of the cover section can swing outwardly to permit dropping the supply rolls into the wall section from the top, the bottom portion of the cover section having a dispensing opening extending upwardly from its bottom to a height substantially equal to the axial length of a supply roll which is to be dispensed, an upright element attached to the bottom of the inner section and of a length adapted to receive and rotatably hold at least two superposed supply rolls, means associated with the upright element adapted to act on a lower roll to yieldably resist its rotation about said upright element, the relation of the top wall of the cover to the top of the uppermost supply roll being such as to act as a stop for limiting movement of that roll, the said bottom having an opening which permits introduction of the finger below the core of the bottommost roll after the paper has been removed therefrom, whereby upward movement of the finger may tear the core lengthwise to permit its removal.

8. A dispensing cabinet having, an inner section comprising, a back and a bottom on which the supply to be dispensed rests, a pair of brackets rigidly connecting said back and bottom to hold them in predetermined angular relation, a cover adapted to enclose the inner section, means pivoting the cover to the bottom in a manner to permit forward opening movement of the cover to a position to permit introduction of a supply roll from above downwardly to engage the bottom of the inner section, and means On the cover and on the brackets cooperable to limit the forward movement of the cover to the aforesaid position.

9. A dispensing cabinet having, an inner section comprising, a back and a bottom, means pivoting the cover to the bottom in a manner to permit forward opening movement Of'th" COVE! to a position to permit introduction or asupply' roll from above downwardly to engage the bottom of the inner section, a member rising from the bottom and adapted to receive a supply roll which is dropped in from above and to rotatably support such a roll, said cover having a dispensing openihg through which the material of a supply roll can be withdrawn only after the engagement of the bottom of such a roll with the bottom of the inner section.

10. A dispensing cabinet having, an inner sec t'ion comprising, a back and a bottom, means pivoting the cover to the bottom in a manner to permit forward opening movement of the cover to a position to permit introduction of a supply roll from above downwardly to engage the bottom of the inner section, said cover having a dispensing opening through which the material of a supply roll can be withdrawn only after the engage- .ment of the bottom of such a roll with the bottom of the inner section.

11. A dispensing cabinet having an inner section, an upright member attached to the inner section and free at its upper end and adapted to receive and support for rotation thereabout a supply of material to be dispensed, a cover for the inner section attached thereto to be movable in a manner to permit introduction of a supply roll downwardly into operative relation with said upright member, said cover having a dispensing opening extending upwardly from the lowermost part of the inner section to a height sunicient to permit dispensing of the material of the supply roll therethrough, and means for limiting downward motion of the supply roll at a position to permit dispensing through said opening.

12; A dispensing cabinet having a bottom wall and a dispensing opening near the bottom wall, and upright means anchored to the bottom wall and over which supply rolls of sheet material can be dropped to be rotatably supported; in superposed end-to-end relation so that the rolls can move by gravity in; directionv of their axes toward said dispensing" opening, s'aid" opening being of such height-as to only permit dispensing withdrawal of the material of the lowermost roll outwardly therethrough.

13; A dispensing cabinet having a bottom wall having an opening, a tube anchored to the bottom wall and in continuity with said opening of the bottom and over which supply rolls of sheet materialcan be dropped to be rotatably supported in superposed end-to-end relation so that the rolls can move by gravity in direction of their axes toward said dispensing opening, said opening being of such height as to only permit withdrawal of the material of the lowermost roll outwardly therethrough, said tube having an opening, and a spring wire adapted to pass through the tube opening and yieldably resist rotation of the lowermost roll during dispensing, said wire being detachably secured to the bottom of said bottom wall.

FRANK G. STEINER. RUDOLPH G. BIRR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,025,312 Rydquist May 7, 1912 1,057,973 Merritt Apr. 1, 1913 1,653,115 Moran Dec. 20,1927 1,917,641 Fairchild July 11, 1933 2,288,332 Steiner et al June 30, 1942 2,312,825 Leveque Marc 2, 1943 2,407,971 Black Sept. 24, 1946 

